A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

I have read a lot over the past few weeks about guns. First, there was the body count in Paris — 130, for those that missed the headlines. Then there was Colorado, then another one, then the one that happened most recently — 14 people died there.

I forget their names.

It’s not that I’m being insensitive, not that I’m being cruel. But the frequency at which they happen seems to muddle my mind and confuse me. I am literally dumbstruck by their commonality, and the lack of concern that it seems to foment in the people that call that country their home.

I have always been a casual observer; always been one, from over the pond, that tutted in disbelief, pleased internally, that my country was not ever so nuts. I never thought it was worth commenting on, never sought to try and change anyone’s mind.

That ends tonight.

In my facebook feed someone saw fit to post a link to some ‘educational’ video on how to use a belt to lock a door in case of a shooter scenario.

WTF? How and why do such links even exist?

It was all very sensible advice and yes, I’ve noted it in case I find myself in such a situation.

But I need to ask you this?

If that’s what you are thinking about now:

Why are you NOT THINKING about other ways in which YOU COULD PROTECT yourself, or rather, strategies by which you could make it so that this kind of solution was NOT NEEDED SO REGULARLY.

Why aren’t you thinking about gun ownership?

I mention this in the context of the last one I’ve read about — the 14 in a community centre. Apparently it was terrorism, but even if the alleged shooter had been on the terror watch list, you still would have sold them guns.

This beggars belief.

In any case, after posting the above in response to the video, I got some feedback. You can imagine what it was.

Some of it was insightful: people in front-line positions educating me about how they need to be able to secure scenes in order to maintain calm and protect people.

Others, less so.

There was lots about protection, lots about defence.

That’s when it hit me. The whole thing is about me, the personal, the individual.

That’s what the problem is. They don’t care about what’s beyond their fingers. It’s all very well demanding the right to protect oneself and those through which they are extended. But they do not care beyond that.

They can’t do. If they did they’d see that what was best for everyone would be the increased checking of whomsoever it was you are supplying with arms.

You do with Iran, and all the other rogue states.

So why not closer to home?

With Iran, with Russia, with everyone else to whom you won’t sell guns, you do it because you’re concerned of what they might do with them, that they might attack you. But you’ll sell guns to those that are depressed, insane or on your terrorist watch list and are then surprised — aghast — when they do something bad.

What is that all about?

I don’t know what the answer is, don’t know if this screed has been worth the 20 minutes or so I’ve spent writing it.

But I’m telling you this — if you are not embarrassed, shamed and appalled by what has happened this year in America then I can not understand you — it is as if America has broken, has given up. And if that shame, embarrassment and being appalled does not prompt you to try and think of some kind of solution, then you have no place in the modern world.

America is a great place, filled with amazing people. It troubles me to see it broken like this.

And apparently so unprepared to even try and fix it.

@tynlyd